Spark-coil.



panying drawing.

UNITED STATES PATENT. onn on.

JOHN ALDEN HALL, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

SPARK-COIL.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

To all whom it may concern! Be it known that I, JOHN ALDEN HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spark-Coils, of which .the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to spark coils, and more particularly to a spark coil characterized bysimplicity and ruggedness of construction.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a casing for an-induction coil and condenser which are self-contained and substantially inclosed within said casing. A self-contained vibrator is mounted upon the head of said casing in a manner permitting 'it to cooperate with said coil. The specific form of the contact springs and vibrator and the mounting thereof are also features of this invention. v

This invention will best be understood by a reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accom- Inthe drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a spark coil embodying the features of this invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;.and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the various parts of the device in their relative positions.

A casingl, preferably formed square in cross section and constructed of a block of wood or other suitable material, having a central bore nearly through-the same lea-ving a bottom portion 2 integral therewith and into which bore is set an induction coil 3 having a core 4 around which is wound 'a primary 'coil 5 and a secondary coil 6. As-

sociated with the coil 3 is a condenser 7. Suitable terminals 8 are provided on one of the surfaces of the casing 1, by means of which connection may be made with the primary and secondary coils 5 and 6 respectively when the spark coil is in service. The induction coil 3 and condenser 7 are main tained separate from each other ,by means of a spacer 9, and the space around these elements is impregnated with a moisture-proof compoundin such a manner as to leave only the end of the core 4 exposed.

To interrupt the circuit of induction coil 3', there is provided a self-contained vibrator the screw 15 is notched, and mounted adja cent to the upper surface of the bridge member 14 is a resilient toothed member 16 having teeth 17 adapted to register with the notches formed upon the periphery of the screw 15, whereby said screw may be locked in-an adjusted position. The resilient member 16 may be secured to the bridge member 14 by being provided with overlapping side edges which are pressed downward upon the corresponding edges of the bridge member 14. An aperture is made in the center of the member 16 to permit the passage of the screw 15;

Disposed at right angles to the bridge member 14 and radially with respect to the base 13, are mounted, by means of eyelets, a pair of resilientcontact members 18 and 19 having their free ends opposing each other. The free ends of the contact members 18 and 19 are reduced to form a tongue-shaped extension, each of which is provided with a contact point 20 and 21 respectively. The contact member 19 carries an armature 22, preferably stamped from sheet metal, which has :1 lug, or tongue 23 punched from its stock adapted to extend over the free end of said contact member so as to cause it to move with said armature when the latter is attracted. The contact points 20 and 21 lie in the same axis with the adjusting screw 15, and the contact relation between said contact points may be adjusted by turning said screw, which is locked in a selected position Emmi:

by the resilient member 17. The armature 22 is adapted to be attracted by the core at when the coil 3 is energized, and upon attraction eflects the opening of the contact points 20 and 21 whereby the circuit through the coil 3 is interrupted. The ends of primary coil 4t, the secondary coil 5 and terminals of the condenser 6 are-connected by suitable conductors to terminals 24. The terminals 24: are'provided with an aperture suitable to permit the passage of wood screws 25. By this arrangement the screws 25, passing through the eyelets of the contact members 18 and 19 and the aperture in the terminals 24, serve to rigidly secure the vibrator 12 to the casing 1 and also conductively connect the induction coil 3, condenser 7 and vibrator 12 in the same circuit. As the operation of spark coils is well known in the art, the circuit arrangement in this instance will be obvious from the drawing without tracing the same. A cap 26 is mounted on the head of the casing 1 and is removably secured to said casing by being provided with embossings adapted to engage cutaway portions of a piece of thin sheet metal 10 punched and shaped substantially as shown in Fig. 4.

The eyelets for securing the bridging member 14 and the contact members 18 and 19 to the base 13, are of the same size and of equal radial distance from the center of said base, so that by removing the screws 25 and turning the vibrator 12 through an angle of ninety degrees to the position it occupies as shown in the drawing, the terminals 24: will be permanently connected by the bridging member 14-. By this arrangement the spark coil may be operated in connection with a master vibrator, or as a separate or individual unit, when assembled as illustrated.

From the above it will be apparent that the spark coil contemplated by this invention, being constructed of few and simple parts, may be readily and accurately adjusted by an unskilled person, which renders it serviceable to the general trade. It will also be seen to be quite an advantage to have both the vibrator and the casing, induction coil and condenser self-contained units, since the vibrator may thus be readily replaced when worn'out without the necessity of discarding the complete apparatus. The means which makes the spark coil readily convertible into an individual unit or suitable for use with a master vibrator renders it of commercial value.

What is claimed is:

1. In a spark coil, the combination with a coil, an inclosing casing therefor and terminals on the casing connected with, the coil, of a vibrator unit therefor comprising a base, a pair of cooperating contact members supported by the base, an armature controltare ling the contact members, a conducting member mounted on the base, and means for securing the vibrator unit to the casing with either the contact members or the conducting member in electrical contact with the terminals. a

2. In a spark coil, the combination with a coil, an inclosing casing therefor and terminals on the casing connected with the coil,

of a vibrator unit therefor comprising a base, a pair of cooperating contact members supported by the base, an armature controlling the contact members, a. conducting member mounted .on the base and bridging the contact members, an adjusting screw carried by the conducting member for adjusting the contact pressure between the contact mem bers, and means for securing the vibrator unit to the casing with either the contact members or the conducting member in electrical contact with the terminals.

3. In a spark coil,'the combination with a coil, an inclosing casing therefor and termi nals on the casing connected with the coil, of a vibrator unit therefor comprising a base, a pair of contact carrying members radially positioned with respect to and supported by the base and having their free ends in juxtaposition, an armature controlling the contact carrying members, a conducting member secured at each end thereof to opposite sides of the base, and means for securing the vibrator unit to the casing with either the contact members or the conducting members in electrical contact with the terminals.

4. In a spark coil, the combination with a coil, an inclosing casing therefor and terminals on the casing connected with the coil, of, a vibrator unit therefor comprising a base, a pair of contact carrying members radially positioned with respect to and supported by the base and having their free. ends in juxtaposition, an armature controlling the contact carrying members, a conducting member secured at its ends to opposite sides of the base and bridging the free ends of the contact carrying members, an adjusting screw carried by the conducting member for adjusting the contact pressure between the contacts of the contact carrying members, and means for securing the vibrator unit to the casing with either the contact carrying members or the conducting member in electrical contact with the terminals.

5. In a spark coil, the combination of a coil, an inclosing casing therefor and terminals on the casing connected with the coil, of

a vibrator unit therefor comprising a base of non-conducting material, a pair of resilient contact carryingmembers an eyelet for securing each contact carrying member to the base at opposite corners thereof, an armature for controlling the contact carrying members, a conducting member positioned at right angles With respect to the Contact carrying members, eyelets for securing the ends of the conducting member to 0pposite corners of the base, and'screws for securing the base to the casing with the eyelets of either the contact carrying members or the conducting member in electrical contact with the terminals.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 23rd day of August, A. D. 1915.

JOHN ALDEN HALL. 

